


Headlice

by PeregrineBones



Series: 1994 [4]
Category: Carry On - Rainbow Rowell, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-09 21:09:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,609
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7817299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeregrineBones/pseuds/PeregrineBones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus and Baz meet up to discuss the return of Sirius.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Headlice

The Lion's Gate was a small pub in the heart of London, crowded enough so that the background noise allowed a conversation to feel private, yet not so crowded that it was too noisy to hear. Remus and Baz had been meeting there for years. Long ago, during the height of the vampire wars and before the mage was defeated for the second time, when they had regularly feared for their lives, they had snuck in one night and warded it.

On the beautiful spring evening when they met, a lively after work crowd had already gathered. Remus arrived first and found a quiet table in the back. Baz arrived a few moments later, tall and imperial as always, impeccably dressed in an expensive suit. Baz worked in Muggle finance. Remus could never really figure out what he did, but he was apparently very good at it. He drew a small vial out of his breast pocket and handed it to Remus. It was filled with a pinkish grey potion. "From Simon," he announced in lieu of a greeting. "For the lice."

Remus uncorked the small bottle and sniffed. "It smells vile,” he announced.

"All the more effective my dear boy, " said Baz.

"Do you drink it or put it on?" asked Remus, looking uncertain.

"You apply it, my dear, to the affected area. Now put that away. I've thought more about lice all ready than I ever wanted to. Although I must say,” he added. “It is a sign of true love to let a man with lice sleep in your bed."

Remus smiled at that. They settled in and ordered pints and Remus gave Baz a quick summary of Sirius' return to him. Baz not being shy in all matters pertaining to sex, quickly ascertained that there hadn't been any and the reason why.

"Poor Moony," he said, his eyebrow raised in a typical gesture. "He waits 13 years for his man to return and when he finally does he’s sailing at half mast."

"It's not funny, Baz." said Remus grimly.

"No, it's not," agreed Baz. "But we may as well laugh about it a little."

Remus contemplated his beer.

"There are spells, you know, for that sort of thing,” said Baz. He shuddered a little inwardly. "Potions too. It's a common problem."

"I know, Baz," said Remus, a bit irritably. "I'm not stupid. I just...I'm hoping he just needs a little time. He was in there for 12 years. He's....emaciated I don't think he has enough fat on his body to make testosterone or whatever hormone the muggle doctors think you need for.....for sex. I just want to....to wait and see."

"Just needs a bit of feeding up, like," said Baz gently.

"Something like that. He couldn't even keep anything in the first night. Puked up everything I fed him."

"How unpleasant," said Baz with a shudder.

"It was."

"Poor Moony," said Baz again. "No wonder you look so drawn."

"I'm just a bit tired. I'm glad to have him back, I really am. It's good as well as bad." Then after a few minutes pause, “He asked about, you know, who I'd been with. We had to go through all of that."

'"Crowley," said Baz softly.

"It was pretty gruesome.”

“Didn’t he have anyone in there, in all those years?"

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask. But he probably did. It’s kind of…...standard procedure in there.”

“Sounds dreadful.”

“I’m sure it was.” Remus ran his hands through his hair. “And the moon is in 5 days, that's what I'm really anxious about now.”

"No changing that, though, is there?"

"No, I know that."

"Do you want to stay with us?" Remus had on occasion entrusted himself to Baz and Simon during the full moon. He hated to ask them, but he hated the cells at the lycanthropy institute worse, and at times when he had had nowhere else to go he had been very grateful to them.

"No, thank you," Remus said now. "I'll be OK at my Dad's. I thought Sirius and I might run together, as we used to."

"Still taking your potion?" asked Baz, his eyebrow raised.

"Every month," said Remus grimly. "Except last month, of course."

"Still beating yourself up about that?"

"Probably for the rest of my life, yeah," said Remus.

They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Listen Baz, I do want a favor from you."

"You mean other than my lice potion?" said Baz with a smile.

"Yes, in addition to that. Could you and Simon come out to the house and help fortify the wards? I did everything I could, but your magic is different from mine, and with Simon's power we could really make it tight."

"Worried about safety are you?"

"I know they're looking for him. I ... I can't let them take him away again. I don't know…. I worry they'll trace him through me. It's no secret how close we were. I just can't let them take him back there.”

"He's innocent, right?" said Baz. "Can't you get his sentence reversed?"

"He is innocent, beyond a shadow of a doubt. But Peter escaped that night last month and without him it's hard to prove. If we had Sirius' wand we would have something. We could use _priori incantatem_ to prove that Sirius never cast the spell that killed those Muggles, but his wand disappeared after his battle with Peter all those years ago and I've never been able to recover it." Remus sat, lost in thought. "I pestered the ministry for years to reopen the case and they refused."

"You need a lawyer, Moony."

"Sirius has a family solicitor, and I've talked to him as well. He was never very interested in helping us before. He knew I was a werewolf and that Sirius and I were involved. I don't think he liked me much. He's been administering the Black estate all these years that Sirius has been in prison."

"Who is it?” asked Baz, sharply.

"The lawyer? Hieronymus Crouch."

"That old windbag," said Baz scornfully. “You should speak to my lawyer, Moony. Is Sirius the only heir?"

"The estate is entailed on the male line. His mother tried to get him disinherited and failed. That's how Hieronymus Crouch knows so much about me. It was fairly ugly at the time, but we were so young we hardly noticed. When Sirius dies everything goes to his nephew, Draco Malfoy, whose mother is a Black cousin. He's the only male heir after Sirius. But of course Sirius would rather leave everything to Harry."

"I'll talk to my lawyer,” said Baz and raised his hand as he saw Remus about to protest. "I'll be discreet, I promise."

"Do you think he could help?"

"I don't see why not. There's a lot of overlap between wizarding law and mage law. Old Hieronymus Crouch used to work on stuff for Father all the time. It's ridiculous for you to be living in fear all the time. If Sirius is innocent he should have his sentence reversed."

"It’s political," said Remus.

"Its not as political as it was 13 years ago. You've got to try."

Remus thought for a moment. "I agree,” he said slowly. “Now that he's out of Azkaban everything is different. We have witnesses who saw Peter alive last month. I know my testimony isn't good for much, but Harry, Ron and Hermione all saw him. They're underage, but they're bright kids, and believable, and people will pay attention if Harry testifies. I know Dumbledore is working on this. I think he's on our side, although of course with him, you never know.”

"Indeed," said Baz, who knew Dumbledore and how inscrutable he could be.

"I must get home " said Remus. “Can you come out to the house sometime soon? Before the moon?"

"Of course," said Baz. "With pleasure. Tomorrow night? I think Simon is free. We might have to bring Anya. It’s Heather's night off."

"No, that's good. I want Sirius to meet you, all of you. I want him to see..." he trailed off.

"See us in all our queer domestic glory?"

"Something like that," said Remus, grinning at his friend. "I want you to......get along"

"I'm sure we will," said Baz, gently.

"Thanks for the potion."

"Use it before we get there!!" said Baz, draining his beer.

Outside the pub they parted with a man hug, a gay man hug which involved 5 points of body contact instead of the typical 3 and a bit of air kissing. “How am I ever going to explain you and Simon to him?” Remus wondered aloud.

Baz grinned, “We're unique, we are! See you tomorrow!”

“Ta, Baz,” said Remus as he turned towards a small park at the end of a street. He knew this neighborhood well, and knew there was a clump of bushes there that made a decent apparition point. The London street was bustling with activity, spring flowers blooming in window boxes, people jostling home to dinner, the air sweet. It reminded him of when he and Sirius had been young, fighting Voldemort, yes, in danger every day, yes, but still full of life and hope. They had run through Muggle London like they owned it, going to movies and second hand shops, concerts and clubs.

Remus felt a sudden surge of wild joy as he remembered that Sirius, his Sirius, was waiting for him at home. It filled his whole chest, made him want to shout and sing. Nothing else really mattered. With hope in his heart he ducked into the bushes and apparated home.


End file.
